Prayer can be defined as an act of communication by human beings with the sacred. It may be with God, “the gods”, the universe, the transcendental realm or any higher power. Prayer has been practiced in all known religions, in all times, using various forms and techniques. Some people, who are agnostic, might call it…
The word opportunity comes from two words in Latin, “ob” meaning “in front of, or toward” and “portus”, meaning “harbor”. One entomologist summed it up beautifully, saying that it means: “The wind that takes you home.” That is a lovely image that implies smooth sailing toward our goal. Opportunities do not always come knocking on…
There are many good quotes about mistakes. My favorite is, “Embrace your mistakes (unless you dated them).” Sometimes we do embrace our mistakes at our own peril, because it is hard to let them go. As my next favorite quote put it: “You can pick up your mistakes and carry them like a burden; or…
Manipulative people use cunning and craftiness in their deceitful schemes, trying to manipulate and control others. Advertisers are notorious for trying to manipulate parents into buying the latest toy or gadget for their children. They make the product look exciting and hope the children will beg their parents to buy it for them for Christmas…
I have written about compassion, which has a lot in common with kindness. In fact, we sometimes use the two terms interchangeably. The difference, for me, is that kindness is an attitude while compassion is an action. Kindness is the good intention; compassion is the follow-through. Compassion does not exist without a kind attitude. Kindness…
People talk about inspiration as though it comes to us, like a flash of lightning, out of nowhere. And, in some cases, it seems to, but the word literally means that ideas come from “the spirit within us.” A dictionary definition is “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to…
Being humble is considered a worthy position to take about one’s self, yet it does not require that we let others put us down or bully us into submission. The only being we are to submit ourselves to, is God. Other than God himself, we are to consider ourselves as equal to others, not superior,…
Discernment is a word we hear often, in religious circles, in the context of making wise, just and well-thought-out decisions. For example, “We should use discernment in choosing who will teach our children in Sunday School”. The implication is that we should not pick the first person who is willing to do the job, but…
A dictionary definition of commitment is, “the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity or relationship”. It is a promise to dedicate ourselves to fulfilling an obligation in the future or for life (from this day forward). It requires self-discipline, resilience and persistence. It is a promise, to do our very best…
A challenge, is often something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination, or a situation that takes a great deal of thought and effort to resolve or overcome. There are many other kinds of challenges such as sporting events or other kinds of contests that we enter into to show strength, endurance and…